Kemp Owyne

Summary

After the death of her mother, Isabel is cursed by her stepmother to live as a beast by the Craigy sea until Kemp Owyne kisses her three times. Kemp Owyne travels to find her, a hideous beast with wild hair that twined around a tree. The beast offers him three treasures, a belt, a ring, and a royal brand, that will provide him with protection, each in exchange for a kiss. Kemp Owyne kisses her three times, once for each gift, and she transforms back into a beautiful woman.

Kemp Owyne

1. HER mother died when she was young,
   Which gave her cause to make great moan;
   Her father married the warst woman
   That ever lived in Christendom.
2. She served her with foot and hand,
   In every thing that she could dee,
   Till once, in an unlucky time,
   She threw her in ower Craigy’s sea.
3. Says, ‘Lie you there, dove Isabel,
   And all my sorrows lie with thee;
   Till Kemp Owyne come ower the sea,
   And borrow you with kisses three,
   Let all the warld do what they will,
   Oh borrowed shall you never be!’
4. Her breath grew strang, her hair grew lang,
   And twisted thrice about the tree,
   And all the people, far and near,
   Thought that a savage beast was she.
5. These news did come to Kemp Owyne,
   Where he lived, far beyond the sea;
   He hasted him to Craigy’s sea,
   And on the savage beast lookd he.
6. Her breath was strang, her hair was lang,
   And twisted was about the tree,
   And with a swing she came about:
   ‘Come to Craigy’s sea, and kiss with me.
7. ‘Here is a royal belt,’ she cried,
   ‘That I have found in the green sea;
   And while your body it is on,
   Drawn shall your blood never be;
   But if you touch me, tail or fin,
   I vow my belt your death shall be.’
8. He stepped in, gave her a kiss,
   The royal belt he brought him wi;
   Her breath was strang, her hair was lang,
   And twisted twice about the tree,
   And with a swing she came about:
   ‘Come to Craigy’s sea, and kiss with me.
9. ‘Here is a royal ring,’ she said,
   ‘That I have found in the green sea;
   And while your finger it is on,
   Drawn shall your blood never be;
   But if you touch me, tail or fin,
   I swear my ring your death shall be.’
10. He stepped in, gave her a kiss,
    The royal ring he brought him wi;
    Her breath was strang, her hair was lang,
    And twisted ance about the tree,
    And with a swing she came about:
    ‘Come to Craigy’s sea, and kiss with me.
11. ‘Here is a royal brand,’ she said,
    ‘That I have found in the green sea;
    And while your body it is on,
    Drawn shall your blood never be;
    But if you touch me, tail or fin,
    I swear my brand your death shall be.’
12. He stepped in, gave her a kiss,
    The royal brand he brought him wi;
    Her breath was sweet, her hair grew short,
    And twisted nane about the tree,
    And smilingly she came about,
    As fair a woman as fair could be.

Similarities

• A person undergoes unwilling transformations
• A frightening person or creature inhabits a wilderness
• The person who rescues them must undergo a challenge
• The challenge can be read as a test of affection

Analysis

In this tale, the mysterious Faerie Queen has been replaced with an evil stepmother, and the transformations take place at the early part of the tale rather than later. It is not clear from the ballad itself why Kemp Owyne is called upon to rescue Isabel, as their relationship is not explicitly stated. Some theories have Kemp Owyne as an Arthurian knight, and this as a holy quest, but it is not certain.

Version Notes

Added to site: November 2014